Chapter 60: New Human Village
Following the guidance of the unknown green-skinned creatures, the group resumed their journey.
After traversing a series of overlapping mountains, their vision suddenly opened up. The steep climb had left them all breathing harder than usual, but the sight ahead made the effort worthwhile.
A village built against the mountains appeared before their eyes.
"This is quite a good place," Kurtz exclaimed after observing the surrounding terrain.
"Yes, located deep within the mountains, all barren peaks where neither beasts nor monsters would venture. This is a natural sanctuary."
Norn chimed in, his tactical mind automatically assessing the defensive advantages. Along the way, he couldn't help but admire his village's ancestors for choosing Gemier Forest, a natural monster exclusion zone, as their habitat.
The outside world was full of dangers, and it was difficult to survive without great strength. Whether it was their village or this one, both chose to live in areas where monsters wouldn't venture, a sobering reminder of how precarious human existence had become.
As they entered the village, the villagers immediately gathered vigilantly upon discovering the strangers, holding makeshift weapons.
The tension was palpable, radiating from the cluster of worried faces.
Norn sighed, realising that even among human tribes, development levels varied greatly.
Because their village didn't worry about monster attacks, they could freely send people out to explore and learn from other races they encountered.
In Kurtz's words, they had already entered the Iron Age, but the weapons here were crude; some stone spears were even visible. The contrast was stark; generations of isolation had clearly taken their toll.
These mountains were protective shells, but also obstacles to venturing out. Likely, the only outside contact these people had was with the green-skinned forest dwellers.
Norn and Kurtz exchanged glances and nodded; their intentions were clear.
A white-haired elder, leaning on a cane, stepped forward. He appeared to be the village chief. "Outsiders, you are..."
His words suddenly stopped, cloudy eyes fixed on their faces. "Are you... of the same race?"
Among these five people, the elf's slender ears and the dwarf's short but powerful body were easily recognisable, but Kurtz and the others looked exactly like them in appearance.
Their village had records of some outside races, including elves and dwarves, as well as their own kind, which was why the elder asked with uncertainty. Hope flickered in his weathered features.
"Yes," Norn stepped forward. "We come from a distant forest and are currently on an adventure."
The villagers, dressed in animal hides, immediately stirred. Excited murmurs rippled through the crowd like wind through grain.
The village population was only about a hundred people. When faced with the sudden arrival of strangers, almost everyone was present, even the children, showing how prepared they were for conflict.
Now, seeing that these outsiders were of the same race, curiosity overcame wariness. Even the children peeked out from behind adults, curiously observing these strangely dressed kin.
That night, by the bonfire in the village centre, the villagers brought out simple but their best food to entertain the group.
The aroma of roasted meat and wild herbs filled the evening air, creating an atmosphere of tentative celebration.
The old chief recounted the village's history.
"Our ancestors fled here to escape monsters and have lived here for three generations," he sighed.
"But the harvests have been getting worse lately, and I'm afraid that before long, we will have to start a new migration."
This area was initially barren, with very scarce vegetation, and thus, no beasts or monsters, allowing the village to live peacefully for nearly a hundred years.
However, this land was ultimately too barren; even with planting, it couldn't support a hundred people. The soil grew thinner each year, as if the mountain itself was slowly dying.
They had reached a dead end.
Before Kurtz could speak, Norn suddenly stood up. "I can help you!"
Under the astonished gaze of the villagers, warm light glowed in his palm. The orb of light slowly ascended, illuminating the entire village as if it were daytime. Gasps of wonder echoed from every corner of the gathering.
It was the illumination magic Kurtz had researched, and now everyone except Somo knew this simple but useful spell.
Kurtz thought about Norn's lapse in composure and ultimately swallowed his words. The younger man's enthusiasm was admirable, even if his timing could use work.
He could understand Norn's feelings, but having his thunder stolen still made him a little disappointed.
At this moment, a small hand quietly rested on Kurtz's head, gently stroking it.
He looked up and saw Serie, her face holding a joyful smile.
"Are you unhappy?" she asked with obvious delight.
It was an unexpected reversal! To successfully pat his head, Serie had even stood up; otherwise, with her short stature, she would have to raise her arm very high to reach him.
The sight of the petite elf standing over him was almost comical.
"Is this your revenge?" Kurtz said helplessly.
"You can think of it that way. It's because you like to pat my head!"
Serie had wanted to do this for a long time. She desperately wanted to see that helpless expression on this human's face, just like her own when her head was patted.
Unfortunately, her plan was destined to fail. Kurtz didn't mind it at all; instead, he found the small hand of this petite elf quite comfortable.
The gentle touch was oddly soothing after the day's long journey.
Seeing that Kurtz did not react after she had patted him for a long time, Serie eventually withdrew her small hand, though her expression was quite unhappy.
Why didn't this guy get angry about it? She was utterly baffled. She'd expected at least some indignation, not this calm acceptance.
But her thoughts were interrupted by the conversation nearby.
"This... is this a miracle?" the chief asked, trembling.
"No, this is magic," Norn explained. "Anyone with talent can learn it."
The chief's emotions suddenly became agitated upon hearing "magic." His gnarled hands shook as he gripped his walking stick tighter.
He naturally knew what magic was; all magic, without exception, was something only powerful races possessed. He never expected to see it on a fellow human one day.
Could it be?
He tremblingly stood up and bowed deeply to Norn. "Respected magic user, can our human race also learn magic?"
Norn quickly supported the elder. "Naturally, you can."
He stopped speaking after that, realising he seemed to be overstepping his bounds. The leader of their team should be Kurtz.
Even if Norn shared the same wish, he shouldn't make decisions for himself. This was his respect for his companion and gratitude to Kurtz for selflessly offering his magic.
So he turned his gaze to Kurtz.
Kurtz naturally understood and took over the conversation. "Please rest assured, the purpose of our journey is to teach magic to more humans."
The surrounding villagers stirred once again. The excitement was infectious, spreading through the crowd like wildfire.
Several young people whispered excitedly to each other, while the children widened their eyes, gazing curiously at the floating orb of light.
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